This invention relates to electronic fly traps, and more particularly to electronic fly traps utilizing visible light to attract flying insects, such as flies, which enter an enclosure, and are entrapped upon a sticky surface as they approach a light source located beneath a disposable sheet having a plurality of apertures, with a sticky surface thereon.
Flies breed and feed on filth. Flies spread pathogens that carry many diseases, such as Typhoid fever, Salmonella, dysentery, epidemic diarrhea and intestinal parasites. Each fly carries up to six million bacteria. Flies are attracted by sight, sound and scent to the source of light, vibrations and food. Flies are commonly found in restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, planes, trains, cruise ships, retail food stores, and food processing facilities, wherever a source of food is found.
There are four principal ways in which files spread pathogens that cause disease.
1. Flies do not have chewing or biting mouth parts. A fly must regurgitate digestive enzymes onto its food. As the enzymes dissolve the food, the fly sucks up the nutrients through its feeding tube. The flies"" mouth parts and enzymes contaminate the food.
2. Flies have setae or hairs all over their body parts. These hairs are involved in the sensory collection of stimuli. The hairs also collect bacteria and other microorganisms. The flies contaminate the surfaces on which they walk, and flies shed these contaminates as they fly. Contaminates from flying insects may remain airborne for hours.
3. Flies frequently evacuate their alimentary canal, leaving fly spots wherever they happen to land. These fly spots are unsightly and unsanitary.
4. Female flies lay eggs in food. The eggs become soft-bodied legless larva, or maggots, which feed on the food. Maggots are unsightly, unsanitary and spoil the food.
Many attempts have been made to eliminate flies in proximity to food and people, with mixed results. Attempts have been made to electrocute flies, in apparatus known generally as xe2x80x9cbug zappersxe2x80x9d. These devices attract flies to a source of light, and electrically charged wires in proximity to the lights serve to electrocute the flies upon contact with the electrically charged wires. It has been found that electrocuted flies tend to explode, sending fly fragments in all directions. Thus, their use in proximity to food or people is not recommended, and these bug zappers are not recommended for use indoors. Field tests have shown that more than ninety percent of the flies killed by bug zappers are male flies. Thus, most female, egg laying flies are not killed by bug zappers.
The use of fly paper for catching flies is also well known. Flies are attracted to the area by sight, sound and/or smell, and become stuck on the fly paper, where they remain glued to the fly paper until the fly paper is removed. The efficiency of fly paper is limited to its size and location. Left in the open, fly paper is messy, unsightly, and difficult to handle without coming in contact with flies stuck on the glued surface.
Previous attempts have been made to attract flies with fluorescent lights, where they become stuck on fly paper located in proximity to the source of light. The fly paper is typically located behind or below the lights. While these devices are improvements on bug zappers and randomly placed fly paper, the light source and surrounding area quickly becomes spotted and contaminated in the presence of flies. Such devices are often difficult to clean and keep in good working order.
Silvandersson, a Swedish Company, has successfully marketed xe2x80x9cthe Windowxe2x80x9d fly trap, prior to 1992. This fly trap comprises a light transmissive sheet having an adhesive adhered to one surface. A backing sheet is removed to expose the adhesive prior to use. The fly trap is placed upon a window surface, and the flies are trapped by the adhesive as they attempt to find a passage way through the window. Silvandersson""s address is: Silvandersson Miijo A B, Box 56, SE-310 20 Knared.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,727 issuing to David Gilbert on Nov. 2, 1999 discloses a decorative flying insect trap using light, with fly paper located below the light.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,355 issuing to David Gilbert on Sep. 14, 1999 discloses a flying insect trap having a cardboard strip with adhesive located below the light source.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,211 issuing to Harold Regan et al. on Jul. 29, 1997, discloses a wall mounted trap for flies and insects, wherein the light is positioned above a sticky surface mounted on a rotatable cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,197 issuing to Colin Smith on Jun. 20, 1995 discloses a device for trapping insects having a light source which illuminates an adhesive surface which is continuously or intermittently rolled to avoid a build up of trapped insects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,624 issuing to Dennis Phillips on Oct. 3, 1978 discloses an insect trap having a light source having a sticky substance located on a reflective surface positioned behind and below the light source.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,457 issuing to Hotoshi Sato et al on Feb. 21, 1978 discloses an insect catcher having a fluorescent lamp and vertically aligned sticky band located below the light source.
Thus, what is needed, is an efficient, attractive electronic fly trap, which may be wall mounted, or placed on a suitable horizontal surface, such as a table or countertop. The apparatus should be easy to maintain and clean. It preferably has two side by side light sources, one operable at a first frequency above a given threshold, and a second operable at a second frequency below a given threshold. A disposable sheet with a plurality of apertures therethrough, is substantially covered with a sticky adhesive. The disposable sheet is located above the light sources. The plurality of apertures in the disposable sheet allow heat and light to pass therethrough. The plurality of apertures are sized to restrict the passage of flies and most other flying insects. Preferably, the disposable sheet is a light transmissive disposable sheet.
A reflective panel redirects the light passing through the disposable sheet and the sticky adhesive, redirecting the light to pass through at least one elongated aperture in a removable front panel. The removable front panel may include indicia, such as a design, name, sign, advertisement, logo, trademark or slogan. The elongated aperture in the removable front panel provides access to flies and other flying insects into the housing. The flies are drawn into the housing by the light, by one or more frequencies generated by at least one electronic ballast and by at least one transformer, and by the warmth generated by the lights. The disposable sheet is preferably light transmissive. A sticky adhesive is mounted on the upper surface of the disposable sheet. The adhesive surface captures flies, and other flying insects, which land on the adhesive surface as they are drawn towards the light. The disposable sheet is easy to install and remove from the housing. A tab portion preferably extends beyond the sticky surface, and provides a convenient way to handle the disposable sheet, without making contact with the insects entrapped upon the sticky substance. A reflective surface extends behind and above the disposable light transmissive sheet. Light passing through the disposable sheet, is redirected by the reflective surface, to pass through at least one aperture located in the removable cover, to attract flying insects into the housing.
Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein certain example embodiments are set fourth by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings and description provided herein. The various features of novelty, which characterize this invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.